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Chaps
I've been rather taken with the Blaser R8 platform
and putting aside the sensible choice of .308, I've taken a fancy to a 6.5mm x something
Intended uses are Stalking out to 300m and targets with my club out to 1000yards
Choices are: 6.5 creedmoor, 6.5x284, 6.5x47 lapua as its going to be primarily a stalking rifle
I like the idea of the shorter barrels. What's your choice and why?
Thanks for your help
UTB

6,5 x 55 has been an excellent round for years - what's not to like about it?

I use a 6.5 Lapua for stalking and have had it for about 8 years. It has accounted for a lot of deer. 26" barrel, 120 grain NosBT @ 2960fps. It is very accurate.

It's a personal opinion and must be taken as such. I will keep it honest and unbiased.

My barrel is too long for a woodland rifle, I would probably sacrifice 100 fps and go with 22". It is perfect for all species out to 300 yds apart from Sika and Red stags. I have shot a few at that distance and they take just a bit too long to go down for my liking. If you want to shoot them at that distance I would personally go with something a little more powerful - I use a 280AI.

I can't offer an opinion on the other two chamberings you mentioned as i don't own either.

If you want to shoot 1000 yds with it too you might want to keep it long and put up with the mod twanging branches in the woods like me! I don't know if you have done the numbers on it at 1000 yds but it's not very special. You wind reading is going to need to be good.

dodgyrog wrote:6,5 x 55 has been an excellent round for years - what's not to like about it?

I guess its the same reason to not have a .308, fancy something different, cracking round though.

Any of the 6.5s would be capable for stalking uses with little discernible difference between them
availability of suitable factory ammo would be a big deciding factor, costs and availability, which of course would be negated if you are planning on rolling your own

I would avoid the 6,5-284 despite the Viking owning one which I have shot a reasonable amount, instead the 6,5x55 does it all as does the .260 or 6,5x47 or 6,5CM which all share similar external ballistics. The only difference is do you want a long or short action.

Ovenpaa wrote:I would avoid the 6,5-284 despite the Viking owning one which I have shot a reasonable amount, instead the 6,5x55 does it all as does the .260 or 6,5x47 or 6,5CM which all share similar external ballistics. The only difference is do you want a long or short action.

The Blaser platform negates the action length question, but they sell the x47 with a longer barrel than the creedmoor. what will the slight loss of velocity mean in the real world?
Obvs the x55 opens up the 2nd hand market considerably.

The smaller case 6.5X47L is extremely efficient with ultra short barrels as it burns most powder charges within 12 - 15 inches of barrel. This is one reason why it is so popular with people using custom built rifles with 14-18 inch barrels and a moderator fitted. The larger case 260 and 6.5 Creedmoor benefit from a slightly longer barrel, especially as their loads as a rule employ slower burning powders. Generally there is nothing much between this trio in MVs if loaded to sensible pressures unless there are really large barrel length differences.

6.5X47L is in practice a handload only cartridge. Only Lapua makes ammo which likely costs around £4 a round, and of those, there is only a single stalking load, the all-copper 'Naturalis' bullet. I understand some stalking permissions, including all Forestry Commission do not allow handloaded ammunition on health & safety / insurance grounds. Also, the sole factory rifles listed in this chambering are the R8, and a couple of Italian models from Victrix Armaments and Sabatti, both tactical and target models. All this could potentially limit resale prospects, especially is the cartridge which is still 'on a roll' goes out of fashion. With the R8 being a switch-barrel rifle, I'm sure it or the barrel would sell on very well right now though and for a fair few years to come. But basically, the cartridge has failed in the 'general market place'. It has not been adopted by any sporting rifle maker other than Blaser and only Lapua makes brass or ammo. With the arrival of the Creedmoor, that's just not going to change, so the 6.5X47L will have to survive largely on the basis of those willing to commission custom rifles, or have more basic models rebarrelled to the cartridge ..... or ultimately slowly sink and die.

With the Creedmoor being the 6.5mm calibre sensation du jour and being offered by almost every US firearms and ammunition manufacturer now bar Remington, it becomes the default choice for the short-action 6.5 shooter. It has been hampered here to date by factory ammunition and brass shortages, but some four or so other case manufacturers have now joined Hornady including crucially Lapua whose small primer, small flash-hole brass will be in the shops by the spring. With this version identical to the 6.5X47L at the rear end, it is in effect a new 6.5X49mm Lapua cartridge that will do everything the smaller one does, likely a bit more too, but at lower pressures. As time goes on, the choice of factory match and stalking ammunition will continue to increase, and it will almost certainly kill off the 260 Rem so far as new rifle purchases go, ammunition and brass being made to keep the owners of existing rifles supplied.

As far as stalking rifles and cartridges go, the 6.5X55mm has been around in Europe for 121 years and shows no sign of going away soon. It is still the default choice for most continental and Scandinavian field shooters wanting a 6.5 and factory ammunition and handloading components will be around for the foreseeable future, at least outside the USA where the Creedmoor will possibly cause it to decline to a near death situation other than FMJ ammo for historic arms owners.

6.5-284? A really potent stalking and long-range vermin cartridge. Only Norma ammo at some cost and likely special order available in Europe ( a few more sources in the US, but $50 plus per carton of 20 and generally not exported). Definitely a minority taste here which depresses secondhand rifle (or in the Blaser's case barrel) attractiveness and prices.

Thank you Laurie, as always enjoy reading your informative posts.

markymark wrote:Thank you Laurie, as always enjoy reading your informative posts.

And thank you from me, that was what I wanted to know